Archive for the 'Nick Young' Tag Under 'Clippers' Category

Let's just get this out of the way. The Clippers will not win game two if they trail Memphis by 27 points -- probably. After seeing Sunday's game, anything is possible, but I think we'll see a more conventional game Wednesday night at the FedEx Forum.

If the Clippers are going to take a commanding 2-0 lead in this series, they're going to have to put together a more complete game then they did Sunday, it starts with these fourkeys.

1. Contest shots

While Memphis probably won't get off to another blazing start from three-point range, hitting 7-10 to start the game, the Grizzlies showed they're certainly capable of making wide-open jumpers, and through the first three quarters, the Clippers didn't close out on shooters. The Clippers' big men need to do a better job showing out Memphis' pick and rolls, and while the gameplan will continue to focus on the Grizzlies' interior players, the Clippers have to be more aware of the Grizzlies' shooters.

While things like an opponent and whether the Clippers will have home court advantage are still undecided, the team is doing the things it can to get prepared for its first postseason since 2006.

The team has scouts preparing for multiple scenarios including a likely first-round match-up with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The team needs just one win in their final two games or a Memphis loss to clinch home-court advantage and the fourth seed in the West.

Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro and players with playoff experience have addressed the adjustment with the team, but that's not enough.

“All the talk is great, but the bottom line is you have to go through it,” Del Negro said. “It's a great time of year. … Everything is magnified tremendously. You can explain and you can talk about it, but the level of play will go up. The physicality will go up.”

The Clippers have been looking for their offense to provide a serious punch, but when all five fingers are moving in different directions, it's tough to make a fist.

While the offense's simplicity and predictability have been openly criticized, days like Tuesday can go a long way towards the team landing meaningful blows on opposing defenses.

While the Clippers didn't go through a full speed workout on their practice court, they did go through additional counters and adjustments, leaving hope that the team could see improved results.

“It's more about timing on things offensively, some trust and some quicker rotations,” Vinny Del Negro said. “We talked about those things, but we didn't drill them as much as we'd like because we want the guys to get their energy.”

Timing and familiarity have been issues with the team's roster and rotation constantly being updated. Guard Nick Young said he thinks things can be better once everyone, especially himself, learn how to work together.

The quest for continuity on the Clipper roster took another hit this past week, when guard Mo Williams sprained the big toe on his left foot Thursday in New Orleans.

While an MRI didn't show any significant tears, the injury kept Williams from playing Saturday against Memphis and will keep him out for “a little bit,” Vinny Del Negro said.

With Williams sitting on the bench with a protective boot on over his left foot, Del Negro shuffled the lineups again, having Randy Foye move into the starting lineup, pushing newly acquired Nick Young to the bench.

Del Negro made the move in order to bolster the bench's offensive output with Williams not on the floor.

“We'll try to get him a little more comfortable. With Mo being out, we need a little more spark off the bench,” Del Negro said. “Nick is a guy who can run some players for like we did with Mo, and we'll see if we can get him going a little bit.”

Nick Young got word he was going to play just hours before Sunday's tip-off and was on the Staples Center floor with the coaches learning a few plays.

But Young's biggest contribution in the Clippers' 87-83 overtime victory was on the free throw line, where he didn't need any extra coaching. An 83 percent free throw shooter, Young made 7 of 8 foul shots, including two in the overtime victory, and scored a basket for eight points in a winning debut.

"It being my first game, I didn't want to lose that one," he said. "I didn't want to hear the critics."

Young starred at USC and expected to have plenty of family and friends in attendance for his first game with the Clippers. His parents last saw him in person Feb. 15 when his former team, the Washington Wizards, played the Clippers in Los Angeles, so it was important for him to have a good game.

“We tried to incorporate Nick Young out there today, which was tough, but I think he did a great job for us,” Coach Vinny Del Negro said. “He made some free throws and had a bit steal, so all in all, we'll take it.”

Very few NBA players are as in love with the act of shooting a basketball the way Nick Young is.

For Washington, Young averaged 14.8 field goal attempts per game. And yet he played only 30.3 minutes per game. Those are roughly similar to the numbers put up by Cleveland's Kyrie Irving, except Irving is a point guard who brings a lot more game.

Jason Terry's role in Dallas is to come off the bench firing, yet Terry only averages 13.6 shots a game in his 30.1 minutes of play.

Young also averages 3.2 free throw attempts, fourth-lowest among the league's top 50 scorers.

As part of a three-team deal, the Clippers have made a trade acquiring guard Nick Young for the Washington Wizards, sending Brian Cook's expiring contract and a future second-round pick to the Wizards in return.

The trade was first reported by Yahoo! Sports. Sources have confirmed the deal to the Register.

The deal would bring Young, a Los Angeles native and former star at USC, back home.